Vine grasper bar



Mardl 12, 1940; THYs 2,193,354

' vmz emsnan BAR v Filed Sept. 2?, 193a 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

' ATTORNEK March 12, 1940. 1 E. ms 2,193,354 vms emsrnn BAR 'Filad Sept.27, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR.

@QMW

ATTORNEY;

Patented Mar, 12,

UNITED STATES PATENT'TOFFICE Application September 27, 1938, Serial No.281,909

3 Claims. '(01. 130-30) This invention relates to an apparatus forgrasping-and holding one end of a hop vine while it is being fed orpulled througha hop picking machine,'this application being acontlnuation in part of the vine grasper structure disclosed. in myco-pending application entitled Hop picking machine," filed June 30,1937, Serial No. 151,142.. v

The object of the present invention is generally to simplify and improvethe construction and operation of vine grasper barsof the typedescribed; to provide a grasping mechanism which automatically increasesits grip on the vine as the pull. on the vine increases; and

further, to provide a grasping mechanism from which the vine is readilyreleased and removed when the picking operation is completed.

The vine grasper bar is shown by way of iilustration in the accompanyingdrawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a v hoppicking machine;

Fig. 2 is a perspective-view of the vine grasping mechanism; Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the pivoted grasper jaw;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the releasing lever: I

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the spring-actuated push rod; a

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a complete vine grasper bar; I

. Fig. '7 is a plan view partially in section of one end of a vinegrasper bar, showing the grasping 3 mechanism in open position;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. '7 showing the grasping mechanism inclosed or grasping position;

Fig. 9 is a side view of Fig. "I, looking in the 9 direction of thearrows IX-IX;

Fig. 10 is a bottom view of one end of a grasper bar and the graspingmechanism carried thereby, said view showing the stationary cam wherebythe pivoted grasping jaw is automatically 4| opened to release a vine:and

- Fig. 11 is a cross section taken on line XI-XI of Fig; 10. V

Referring to the drawings in detail, and par- 1 ticularly to Fig. 1, A:indicates an elongated frame in which are mounted upper and lower rowsof picker drums such as indicated at 2. These drums are provided withspaced rows of V-shaped picking fingers constructed of resilient springwire, and as the upper drums rotate in the direction of arrow a, and thelower drums attached thereto, theywill first pull-the vines l0 upwardlyin the direction of arrows 0 over the upper row of drums, then passaround the driving sprocket 4, and finally pull the hop vines betweenthe drums in the direction of arrow (1. Thereafter, the vines arereleased at the point l5 l0,- and new vines to be picked are applied.

A platform, not shown, is disposed in front of a the idler sprockets 1.Two operators are stationed on this platform; they grasp the butt orroot ends ofthe hop vines and secure them to 90 the grasper barindicated by dotted lines at H, and when secured the vines will take thepath. through the machine which has previously been described, and whenthey reach the point Ill they will be automatically released. Themechanism for securing the vines and for releasing them forms thesubject matter of the present application, and is best illustratedinFigs. 2 to 11 inclusive. Each grasper bar is constructed of. angleiron (see Fig. 2). At each' end thereof is placed a grasping mechanismgenerally indicated at B.

-. As each grasping mechanism is like all the others,

a description of one will sufllce. Referring to Figs. 2 to 8 inclusive,9 indicates the angle bar, and a plate welded or otherwise securedthereto. Supported by the plate is a stationary-gripping jan i3, andformed on the inner face thereof are serrations or teeth l4. Also weldedor similarly'secured to the angle bar are a pair of '40 plates l5 and|8,.and pivotally mounted as at I1 is a gripping jaw it, which is alsoprovided with serrations or teeth a. Means are provided forautomatically opening, or in other words, swinging the pivoted jaw'llfrom the closed position 45 shown in Fig. 8 tothe open-position shown inFig. 7, and means are also provided for manually closing or swinging thejaw it from its open position to the closed or gripping position shownin Fig. 8. This latter means is constructed as 50 follows: Formed on therear side of the pivoted gripping jaw I8 is an arm I9. and pivoted tosaid arm at the point 20 is a form 2| which terminates in a rod 22, andalso a fork 23 which terminates in. a handle 24. A pin 25 extendsposition shown in through the eyes of the forks 23 and 2|, and the pivot20 formed in the 'arm l9, and the rod 22 extends through an end plate 26whereby the plates I6 and I6 are connected. The rod is freely slidablein this end plate, and a spring 21 is interposed between said plate andthe fork 2|. On the fork 28 are formed a pair of lugs 23a, and on theouter endof the arm I9 is a cross-arm I90. A pair of springs 26 connectsthe crossarm lSa with the extensions 23a of the fork; and the functionof the gripping mechanism as a whole will be as follows.

If reference is made that spring 21 will normally the pivoted jaw H3 inopen position, as the pivot pin 25 which connects the fork 2| with thearm IQ of the pivoted jaw is offset with relation .to a center linedrawn between the pivot point i1 and the hole in the end plate 26through which the rod extends. Plainly speaking, the connection is anoff-center toggle, which is spring-actuated and for that reason normallyholds the jaw open. If it is desired-to close the jaw, it is onlynecessary to swing the pivotal point 26 on the opposite side of theimaginary center line drawn to Fig. '1, it will benoted between thepoint I! and the hole in the plate 26, as the spring will then act toclose the jaws. In order to do this, lever 24 is provided. By graspingthe lever 24 and swinging it in the direction of the arrow e, theupperend of the fork 23 will engage the cross-arm I9a of the arm is, andthus swing the jaw about the. pivot l1, and the moment it has; swungsufllciently far to permit the pivot pin 25 to swing to the other sideof the imaginary center mediately close or swing line, spring 21 willimthe pivoted jaw l8 into contact with the stationary jaw IS. The handle-24 will, during this period, swing from the full line position shown inFig. '7 to the dotted line position shown in Fig.8, but when it isreleased, springs 28 will pull the lever back to the full line bothFigs. 7 and 8, where it is substantially parallel with the angle bar 9and in a position .where it is not affected by the vines or pickingfingers of the machine.

In actual operation, it was previously statedthat the operator oroperators who feed the vines to the machine are stationed on theplatform disposed in front of the sprocket I. The operator, when he isgoing to apply a vine, grasps it at its butt or root end and forms aloop 30' which he places over the stationary jaw as shown in Fig. 8. Hethen grasps the lever 24 and swings it to the dotted line position. andthereby closes the jaw l8, and when he releases the lever 24, itautomatically swings back .to the full line position shown in Figs. '7and 8, or, practically speaking, into parallelism with the bar 9. Whenthis is done, the vine is secured and will be pulled through the machineas previously described. As it is being pulled through the machine, thepull on the vine increases, particularly when it passes between theupper and lower rows of drums, or in the direction of arrow d (see Fig.1). Such increased pull will not release the vine orpermit it to bepulled from between the jaws,. as any increase in pull will simply causethe jaw i6 to swing in the-direction of arrow 9 and thereby increase thepressure and grip'on the vine. Thus accidental release due to increasedpull or otherwise is not liable to effect release or pulling loose ofthe vine from the grasping mechanism.

After the vine has completed its circuit through the picking machine itreaches the point 10, which is below but adjacent the feedingposifunction to hold 4 wardly and thereby it is turned upside down;

. proven superior due to the ease vine is released and removed; and ithas also proven. superior due tion. At this point a cross-bar 32 extendsacross the machine. On this bar are a pairof cam fingers 33, and thesecam fingers align with slots 34 formed between the plates i2 and IB.- 0nthe lower face of the pivotedjaw I8 is a lug or plate 35. This extendsinto the slot 34; hence as the grasper bar is moving in the direction ofarrow it see Figs. 1 and 10) and the cam finger 33 enters the slot 34,it will engage the plate or lug 35 and thereby swing the jaw l8 aboutits pivot 11 back to open position, and it will there be held in openposition until it is-again closed by means oithe lever 24.

when the grasping mechanism is in the feeding position, the stationaryjaw l3 points uppermits the loop formed by the operator or feeder of thevine to be hooked over it, but when the grasper bar is returning, andapproaching the bar 32 and cam finger 33, henee when the jaw I8 isopened, the loop formed around the stationary jaw l3 will fall off, andthe vine is entirely clear and free of the grasping mechanism.

The broad idea of a grasping mechanism of this character. is old, as itis fully disclosed in Patent No. 1,054,360, issued to George E. Milleron February 25, 1913. He discloses a hop picking machine of thecharacter here shown; he discloses the use of grasper bars and agrasping mechanism which is manually operated when the vine is hookedon, and which is automatically opened when the vine is picked. Thismechanism has been extensively used since the issuance of the patent,andno improvement was made thereon until just recently, when thestructure here disclosed was developed and put into use. -It has withwhich the to the automatic gripping action of the jaw is creases.

.Structm'ally, the grasping mechanism here shown differs from thatdisclosed in the patent to Miller, and in actual operation it issuperior due to the advantages just set forth.

Having thus described and illustrated my intion when swinging about thepivot to a closed or gripping position, so that the grip exerted by thepivoted jaw will increase in proportion to a pull exerted on the vine, arod pivotally connect-' ed to the pivoted jaw; and a spring surroundingthe rod, said spring and rod exerting a pressure on the pivoted jaw onone side of. the pivot about which the pivoted jaw swings-to retain saidjaw in open position, and swinging to the other side of the pivot whensaid jaw is swung to gripping position, and thereby also retaining saidjaw in gripping position.

2. A vine grasper mechanism comprising a bar, a stationary jaw on thebar adapted to receive and to be encircled by the looped end of a vine,apivotally mounted jaw disposed at one side of the stationary jaw andpresenting a gripping surface substantially parallel to one side of thestationary jaw when open, and an angular position when swinging aboutthe pivot to a closed as the pull on the vine in- .vention, what I claimand desire to secure by Leta or gripping position, so that the gripexerted by the pivoted jaw will increase in proportion to a pull exertedon the vine, a spring actuated toggle member connected with the pivotedjaw for normally retaining the jaw either in open or closed position, ahand operated lever pivotally mounted adjacent one side of the pivotedjaw,

said lever normally assuming a position substane tiaily parallel to thebar but adapted, when grasped, to be swung to a position substantiallyat right angles to the bar, and during said movement engaging thepivoted jaw and swinging it to gripping position, and means forautomatically returning the hand lever when released to normal position.

3-. A vine grasper mechanism comprising a bar, a stationary jaw on thebar adapted to receive and to be encircled by the looped end of a vine,a pivotally mounted jaw disposed at one side of the stationary jaw andpresenting a gripping surface substantially parallel to one side of thestationary jaw when open, and an angular position when swinging aboutthe pivot to a closed or gripping position, so that the grip exerted bythe pivoted jaw will increase in proportion to a pull exerted on thevine, a rod pivotally connected to the pivoted jaw, and a springsurrounding the rod, said spring and rod exerting a pressure on thepivoted Jaw on one side of the pivot about which the pivoted jaw swings,to retain said jaw in open position, and swinging to the other side of.the pivot when said jaw is swung to gripping position, and thereby alsoretaining said jaw in gripping position, a handle pivotally mounted onthe jaw for swinging the jaw' about its pivot toward gripping position,and a spring connected with the handle for swinging it when released toa position substantially parallel to thebar.

momma) THYS. 20

